By Isle of Wight Observer
An impassioned meeting, of around 60 Cowes residents, took place on Wednesday evening to discuss the imminent closure of the Mornington Road car park for a six-month trial of drone deliveries to and from the Island.
Local householders voiced numerous concerns about the proposals, which were first introduced at a stakeholder meeting in April.
Many residents who live near the car park complained they were not informed about that initial meeting, which was supposed to involve local stake-holders, including residents. During the April meeting, it was promised that further consultation would take place before any decisions were made.
However, the next communication residents received was a letter from the Isle of Wight Council last Wednesday, informing them that the car park would be closed from August 7 to February 7 next year to facilitate the trial and accommodate a shipping container.
During Wednesday’s meeting at the Villa Rothsay Hotel, which overlooks Mornington Road, residents raised numerous issues.
These included the loss of parking spaces during the summer, the reduction of green space and public amenities, potential negative effects on wildlife, the lack of consultation with the town council, and the unsuitability of the site. Concerns were also expressed that proper procedures for closing a public car park had not been followed, and that due diligence had not been conducted on the drone supplier, Intiliport.
Maggie Ankers, owner of the Villa Rothsay, noted that no-one at the meeting supported the plans. She said: “There is a significant groundswell of opinion against this. People are angry about losing the only green space on Cowes seafront, and these parking spaces being taken away just before summer events like the Powerboat Festival. The car park is heavily used by beachgoers and as overflow parking for regattas and other events. It shows that nobody has thought this through.”
She added: “People are very angry that our public representatives don’t prioritise local residents and businesses before moving forward with such plans.”
The Isle of Wight Council was approached for a comment but had not responded by the time we went to press.
